Jetsettersblog

The new Crew Guide 2009 is the 5th edition of SAS’ published travel guides exposing the best kept travel secrets personally written by the world’s most travelled professionals.

It lists personal, informed, up-to-the-minute and thoroughly original tips of lovely restaurants, bargain shopping, homely hotels and secret hideaways in 32 world’s great cities that are truly worth a visit.

Fronted by the crew of SAS, backed up by the crews of Air Canada, Austrian, Lufthansa, TAP, bmi and LOT, Crew Guide 2009 shares the best the world has to offer. Whether it is where to sip the best tea in Vancouver, the best tapas in Barcelona, or the most romantic place in Mallorca, these tips can all be found in the new edition of SAS’ Crew Guide 2009.

“A tiny street between Frederiksberg and Vesterbro within walking distance of the city centre. There are plenty of cool shops, a few good restaurants and its well away from the normal, overcrowded, over priced tourist trek.” (Bo Skov L, air steward, SAS about shopping in Copenhagen)

Unlike most travel guide books in the market, it is comprised solely from crew recommendations to create a personal and well-informed feel to the guide.

“The best part is when you order a coffee. They bring you a delicious, traditional almond cake with it, and two small bottles of liquor, all included in the prize. “(Paolo P, first officer TAP about dining in Barcelona)

The first edition was published in 2004 and contained 100 pages of crew tips. It has expanded significantly since its beginnings, with this latest edition comprising of 320 pages of great tips for 32 cities across five continents.

“Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is a must, so pick up a clear day, or go around sunset to see New York begin to light up fo5r the evening.” (Lauren B, flight attendant, Air Canada about sightseeing in NY.)

Crew Guide 2009 costs EUR15 and can be ordered online at www.sasguides.com

Scandinavian Airlines offers daily connections from Australia in co-operation with selected Star Alliance™ partners THAI, Singapore Airlines, Air China and frequent flyer partner Qantas. Services operate via Asia to Copenhagen and more than 75 destinations in Scandinavia, Finland, the Baltic’s and Europe.

Scandinavian Airlines long haul fleet consists of Airbus A330s and A340s, serving 8 destinations: New York, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, Bangkok, Beijing, Tokyo, and Copenhagen. Three classes are offered on board: Business, Economy Extra (premium economy) and Economy.

Tabs on Travel Ltd, the leading travel industry publishing house, is extending its reach, this time into the consumer market.

Business Travel News will be published weekly by Travel Communications, a whole-owned division of Tabs on Travel Ltd.

It will be e-mailed as a pdf, and aimed at high-end corporate and business travellers, their personal and executive assistants, and travel specifiers. Business Travel News will target companies in the professional and manufacturing sectors, filling a gap in the market identified by publisher Tony Dominey during his more than two decades in travel industry publishing.

Dominey says that the travel knowledge of corporate travellers is generally under-rated. “They tend to know a lot more about the mechanics of the travel industry than they are given credit for,” he says.

“They often have a keen personal interest in the workings of the travel industry because of the amount of travel they do. Therefore, Business Travel News will supply this sector with ‘industrial strength’ travel information they are not likely to get from any other media source”.

A Business Travel News website and forum are just around the corner and we will encourage our readers to be actively involved by passing on travel hints and tips to each other.

“The dynamics of business travel has changed dramatically over recent years, but there is still a role for corporate travel agents that can’t be matched by the internet . . . especially when a problem necessitates a call at 2am from some strange place around the world. Call centres in these situations do not work!

Business Travel News will also be an important conduit for travel product providers, giving them direct access to a carefully targeted demographic.

The first edition of Business Travel News, edited by Jane Warwick, previously editor of the New Zealand BMW magazine, will hit inboxes.

Launches Super Summer Savings

Antigua’s newest family friendly resort The Verandah has launched new savings with Virgin Holidays for the summer making it one of the best value resorts on the island.

The Verandah, which is part of the Elite Island Resort group, is set in 30 spectacular acres on the northeast coast of the island. It’s the perfect spot for mums and dads to chill out and catch up on the latest beach reads, whilst the kids splash around in the lagoon-pool.

There’s also a spa with all sorts of treatments to make sure you come back from your holiday feeling and looking a million dollars. Celebrity designer Linda Barker designed the children’s club, which has plenty to keep young holidaymakers entertained including an adventure playground.

For active families who want more than just a beach break there are hiking trails in the nearby National Park, watersports, tennis, volleyball and a fitness centre.

Prices start from £939 for seven nights with Virgin Holidays, for departures from now until 30 June. The price is for booking made by 2 June and includes return flights from London Gatwick and seven nights at The Verandah on an all-inclusive basis.

Paula Whitehead, European managing director, Elite Island Resorts:

“These are some of the best prices we’ve seen to our hotels in the Caribbean for many years. P

rices are coming down to stimulate bookings, so for savvy travellers looking for a bargain this could be the chance to get a dream holiday for a dream price.”

To book visit www.virginholidays.co.uk

 or call 0844 557 3859

For more about the resort visit

www.verandahresortandspa.com

The Nature Island

The Discover Dominica Authority has launched a new health and wellness directory outlining what the Caribbean’s Nature Island has to offer for wellbeing breaks.

As well as information on Dominica’s natural wonders such as its hot springs and waterfalls, its organic cuisine and rejuvenating activities, the online directory provides A to Z listings of practitioners in a complete range of holistic therapies including crystal bowl therapy, baby massage, herbal medicine, meditation and yoga.

Colin Piper, director of tourism, comments “The vast array of wellbeing services available in Dominica clearly positions the island as a leading destination for health and wellness travel. This new directory makes it easy for travellers to search for options that will make their holiday on the Nature Island exactly what it should be – relaxing, enjoyable and revitalising.”

The island’s health-boosting properties are also backed up by its unusually high rate of centenarians – people living to over the age of 100 – which the people of Dominica attribute to the island’s mineral rich waters, fresh foods and the active lifestyle dictated by the mountainous landscape.

A feature article within the directory examines the secrets of Dominica’s centenarians, including Ma Pampo who it was claimed was 128 – and the world’s oldest person – when she died in October 2003.

Other features within the health and wellness directory include information on how hiking in Dominica can tone the body and lift the spirit; and a guide to Dominica’s ‘healing foods’.

Visitors to the island will find most food and drink is locally sourced and organically grown, so it is rich in vitamins and nutrients. The food guide lists the benefits of various local ingredients such as:

• CACAO TEA – Studies have linked drinking minimally processed local cacao to increased blood flow to the brain; a positive effect on cardiovascular function; healthy cholesterol levels; reduced blood clot formation; lower blood pressure; improved insulin resistance; clear skin; the release of endorphins in the brain; increased energy levels; cough suppressing abilities; diuretic abilities; eased menstrual symptoms; lower cancer rates; and an enhanced immune system

• COCONUT WATER – Also known as jelly water, this is a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytes present in our blood. The liquid contains vitamin C and some B vitamins, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and traces of iron to maintain good health and boost the immune system

• SPICES – The herbs and spices traditionally added to Creole dishes have a variety of health benefits. Some have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, others aid digestion or simply contribute nutritionally to the diet in Dominica

• PROVISIONS – Breadfruit, dasheen, Tanya, yam, cassava, green kokoy, plantain and fig are the tropical answer to grains, providing a great source of complex carbohydrates and fibre, plus a wide range of vitamins, minerals and amino acids

The guide also examines how natural features of Dominica can promote good health. For example:

• SEA WATER – Inhaling sea water has long been recognised as a curative for clogged-up, painful sinus cavities. In addition, bathing in sea water following a strenuous hike draws out waste acids released by muscles that have been tensed and stretched, preventing stiff legs the following day

• SULPHUR WATER – There are various warm and cold sulphur water sites and spas dotted around Dominica. Many medical skin treatments for conditions such as eczema contain sulphur-based ingredients, confirming what the people of Dominica have known for hundreds of years – that sulphur water is a natural path to smoother skin

Dominica’s new health and wellness directory can be found at www.discoverdominica.com/site/spa.cfm

For more information on Dominica, see www.DiscoverDominica.com

And New London Apartment

CV Travel continues to expand its collection of British holiday houses and cottages, launched earlier in 2009, with the addition of a new seaside family holiday house near Helston, Cornwall (from £2095 / week, sleeps 10) and a beautiful London apartment in a red-brick Victorian house in a garden square in Knightsbridge (from £900 / week, sleeps 4).

`Clifftop House’, close to Porthleven in Cornwall, has 180 degree views from The Lizard to Land’s End, even the free-standing bath is positioned to look straight out to sea. The house was built in Victorian times for the painter John Peverel Rodgers and is reminiscent of an Enid Blyton family holiday home.

The empty white sandy beach beneath the house is accessed by a grassy path, the rooms are comfortably and elegantly furnished and the graceful bay frontage maximizes its dramatic cliff-top position.

Further information at: http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/villas/Great-Britain_Cornwall_Helston_Cliff-Top-House.cfm

`Knightsbridge Flat’ is just 5 minutes from South Kensington Tube Station and Knightsbridge Tube, and is a third floor apartment for 4 to share, overlooking a leafy garden square, which belies its location close to Kensington High Street and the bustle of London’s tourist attractions.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Science Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Royal Albert Hall, Harrods and Hyde Park are all a 5 minute walk away.

The apartment has Wi-Fi broadband, satellite flat screen TV, phone and fax and a personal chef can be pre-booked to prepare one or more meals.

Further information at: http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/villas/Great-Britain_London_Knightsbridge_Knightsbridge-Flat.cfm

CV Travel’s British holiday houses and cottages collection now includes houses for anything from 2 – 22 guests in country and coastal settings throughout the British Isles.

Among them are houses, cottages and apartments, a farm set amid 37 acres, a medieval manor and spacious Victorian country houses, as well as cosy cottages, smart apartments and family houses.

For details of CV Travel’s British collection call 020 7401 1086 or visit www.cvtravel.co.uk

Mantic Point launches latest mobile travel solution

Forget hauling around heavy guide books, mountains of maps and piles of paperwork next time you go on holiday – all you need is your mobile phone, thanks to an innovative British technology.

A new product from mobile travel specialist Mantic Point allows travellers to store documentation and itineraries in their own mobile travel assistant through the recently launched mobile-web solution.

By subscribing to the free service, customers will receive relevant, up-to-the-minute, personalised travel information straight to their mobile phone.

The beta tested mobile-web product will provide users with everything from flight information, snow reports and weather forecasts to traffic updates, destination guides and quizzes.

But what’s really clever about this service is it adapts to the holidaymakers needs at each stage of their trip. This ensures they have only the most relevant information to hand and makes for a time-saving and easy-to-use product.

A brand-new restaurant application is also available, which allows users to browse restaurants, read reviews, check locations and prices and make bookings while in their holiday destination.

Leeds-based Mantic Point, which is part owned by Rolls-Royce, is the only key player to provide a service that is personalised, context aware and multi-channelled.

Subscribers to the service can opt for the free package or a premium service, which costs just £3.95. The premium package offers a more in-depth service, including an on-hand bilingual speaker in case of an emergency.

“The new mobile-web product complements the existing SMS text message services the company has provided since 2007. We believe it is important to offer subscribers a choice of these services as although SMS is still the mass market technology, mobile-web usage is growing rapidly.” says Mike Atherton, managing director of Mantic Point

He added: “We are very aware that each traveller is different and we want to help create a holidaying experience that is right for each individual.”

To try out the new service please visit www.streamthru.com.

It is also possible to register from the mobile site – http://m.streamthru.com

The new restaurant application is available for those travelling within the UK.

Showcasing Soaring Architecture And Iconic Design By World-Renowned Architect Ricardo Bofill

W Hotels Worldwide, the hotel category buster and industry innovator, will mark its debut in Western Europe later this year with the opening of the new W Barcelona. An avant-garde icon of stunning architecture rising high above the Mediterranean in Spain’s most dynamic and stylish city, W Barcelona is designed by Barcelona-born and world-renowned architect Ricardo Bofill. Known for his architectural creations including the Shiseido headquarters in Tokyo and the headquarters for Cartier and Christian Dior in Paris, Bofill’s projects around the world demonstrate his capacity to act in harmony with different local cultures, combined with his great global competence.

With a commanding presence against Barcelona’s stunning waterfront and cityscape, Bofill’s design of W Barcelona was inspired by the sail of a ship, which has led to a local reference of the building as “La Vela” or “The Sail.” Certain to be a landmark in an ambitious urban renewal plan for Barcelona’s coastline, the 26-story, slender, sail-shaped W Barcelona sits perpendicular to the dock, showcasing unprecedented sea and city views from virtually every guest room.

Today, Barcelona City Officials and the City’s Port Authority join Bofill and W Hotels Worldwide in a ceremonial event at the hotel, marking the completion of the building’s iconic tower. Guests will be offered a sneak peek inside W Barcelona, expected to become the W brand’s flagship hotel in Western Europe when it makes its divine debut this fall.

“Taking the W brand into the dynamic city of Barcelona, a European hub known for fashion, design and architecture, will mark a true milestone in W’s global expansion into the world’s most exciting and vibrant destinations,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien.

“W Barcelona offers stunning architecture and innovative design from Ricardo Bofill, one of the world’s leading architects. His leading-edge design will set a dramatic stage for W’s unique lifestyle programming, soon to become a true flagship hotel from the W brand, offering insider access to a world of Wow.”

Through W Hotels’ unique and distinctive programming, W Barcelona will provide a contemporary lifestyle experience with a complete service offer. The hotel will feature 473 guest rooms, including 67 suites, two WOW suites and one Extreme WOW suite. W Barcelona will also offer guests Spain’s first Bliss® Spa (New York’s hottest spa); a second floor destination restaurant with unparalleled views of the Barcelona shoreline; a sleek rooftop bar from London-based nightlife gurus Ignite Group (the creative minds behind famed London nightclub Boujis); the signature W bar and lounge welcome experience; Wet, glamorous infinity-edged pool surrounded by sun terraces and fully equipped cabanas; and Sweat, state-of-the-art fitness facility outfitted with Technogym equipment.

The hotel will also feature spectacular public spaces with more than 2,500 square metres of ultra-modern meeting and event space, including a unique Great Room (W’s interpretation of a ballroom) with breathtaking, unobstructed sea views, making W Barcelona more than the ultimate insider escape but also an ideal hotel for special events, meetings and celebrations. All of these offerings will be supported by the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever® service promise, providing guests whatever they want – from a private chartered yacht excursion along the Mediterranean coastline to a pair of jogging shoes at 5 a.m. – whenever they want it (as long as it’s legal!).

“Barcelona is a mixture of all architectures. We have everything. The most excellent urbanism and the most incredible variation of architecture pieces you can find, from the Roman Walls to the latest modernist icons,” said Ricardo Bofill. “The city is the result of thousands of architects working together for 2000 years.

We hope that W Barcelona becomes part of this story.”

Located on the Nova Bocana (the “new entrance”) of the Port of Barcelona, which connects the city’s historic center to the Mediterranean, W Barcelona is near the world-famous boardwalk La Barceloneta, first-class restaurants of Port Vell, pristine beaches and water sports of Puerto Olimpico, and a short stroll from the romantic cafés, fashionable shops and innovative nightlife options of Barcelona’s Old Town and Las Ramblas.

The only hotel property in Barcelona with direct access to the beach, W Barcelona anchors Passeig de Joan de Borbó, a massive redevelopment project slated to bring luxury retail, office and entertainment venues to this dynamic area.

W Barcelona is now accepting reservations, including group arrivals and event bookings. To celebrate this autumn debut, W Barcelona has introduced an exclusive opening offer for guests, providing a taste of W’s insider contemporary lifestyle experience. Starting at €299, the opening offer includes two welcome cocktails, daily breakfast for two, complimentary appetizer or dessert with dinner at W Barcelona’s signature restaurant, Bliss® Spa gift set, VIP access to the Ignite Group rooftop destination bar, and an upgrade from a Wonderful Room to the next available room type. This limited celebratory offer is valid for stays between October 1, 2009 and February 27, 2010.

Founded in 1998 in New York City, W Hotels continues to transform into a global powerhouse.

W Barcelona will be the brand’s second property in Europe following the opening of W Istanbul last year. With 10 years of proven success, W Hotels will triple its footprint by 2011 in vibrant primary destinations around the world, from Paris to Milan, Manchester to London, Santiago to Vieques Island, Dubai to Doha, Hollywood to South Beach, and Shanghai to Bali.

More than a hotel brand, W Hotels has established itself as an iconic lifestyle brand, offering guests unprecedented insider access to a world of “Wow” through contemporary cool design, fashion, nightlife, celebrities, entertainment and other.

W Hotels has forever changed the hospitality landscape with a series of industry firsts in the past 10 years, including: the transformation of the hotel lobby into the W bar and lounge welcome experience; the introduction of the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever concierge service as a vehicle to fulfill every guest’s dreams; extension of the lifestyle experience into retail through W Hotels the Store; a sensorial multiplex experience with branded W CD compilations released each year; the reinterpretation of the hotel mini-bar to present the brand’s lifestyle point of view; and the reinvention of the presidential suite into W’s “Extreme Wow” and “Wow” suites.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has a commanding presence in Spain, will have six of its nine world-class brands represented, including Westin, Le Méridien,

The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Sheraton, and this fall, W Hotels. Grand hotels make up the Spanish portfolio such as The Westin Palace Madrid; Alfonso XIII, A Luxury Collection Hotel (Seville); Maria Cristina, A Luxury Collection Hotel (San Sebastián); and Arabella Golf & Spa Resort Mallorca.

The opening of W Barcelona comes only three years after the opening of architectural icon Marqués de Riscal, A Luxury Collection Hotel, designed by the Canadian Architect Frank O. Gehry.

In 2004, Starwood opened the Sheraton Bilbao, designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, near the landmark Guggenheim Bilbao museum.

Sandos Hotels & Resorts continues to transform the Caracol complex into the first Eco Resort & Spa on the Riviera Maya, Mexico, through the implementation of self-sufficient structures, designated wildlife areas, and highlighting the natural cenotes, gardens and streams on which the property was built.

The Caracol Eco-Resort & Spa aims to be an “Eco-Versity” in which guests will view, learn and engage in ecological techniques and practices.

Transformations begun in the fall of 2008, and are projected to be complete in 2010.

Through the use of alternative energy technologies, Sandos Hotels & Resorts now features 12 hotel rooms (housed within the same building) with a 75 percent CO2 emission reduction.

The goal is to transform this structure into the world’s first “zero emissions” building. Upon completion, this technology will be used on additional buildings within the property.

Accommodations and facilities are interwoven across approximately 65 acres and separated by bridges, streams and gardens.

There are a total of 996 rooms, all housed within villa-style buildings, each no more than three stories high.

For more information, visit www.SandosHotels.com

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino has been named among the newest members of American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts. The water’s-edge resort on Palm Beach was one of 26 properties granted membership in the international collection for 2009, and the only address in Aruba so designated.

The recently redesigned resort has also been upgraded to Platinum status by American Express Vacations, giving the property increased prestige. The collection receives hundreds of applications annually from properties worldwide, each of which must be weighed on various merits.

With its appointment, Hyatt Regency Aruba joins more than 600 luxury addresses that are counted within American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, including sister properties Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, Hyatt Regency Grand Champions Resort and Spa, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa & Maria, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino, and Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa. Summer rates at Hyatt Regency Aruba start at $315 per night.

Windstar Cruises is partnering with the OnboardSpa Company to provide certified organic products and services to the spa, salon, and fitness center onboard the ships. O SPA London is a certified organic spa experience designed for the face and body.

The products are created with essential oils, extracts of aromatic plants and herbs, and earth and sea botanicals.

All ingredients are sourced from organic, sustainable sources, such as The Eden Project, the largest biosphere project in the world; Lisadell House, an organic medicinal co-operative on the West Coast of Ireland; and Georgina Koomson’s FairTrade women’s co-operative in Ghana. Body treatments feature pure botanicals, ancient stones, crystals and muds. Balinese, Swedish, classic, reflexology, sports as well as fire and ice stone massages are available.

Ayurveda and aromatherapy options are designed to rejuvenate and harmonize the chakras of the body. Facials include an intensive eye masque experience. Acupuncture is also offered.

The salon will offer cuts, hair coloring, styling and treatments using French Kérastase products.

Guests can also choose to take part in a Pilates Institute at Sea Program, yoga, personal training, mediation, and fitness classes led by a team of fitness professionals.